5 Nasty Things In Your Bathroom & How-to Clean Them!

I consider our bathroom cleaning video to be essential viewing, if you want to know how to clean your tub, toilet, sink, counters, tiles, and even the floor.

But I hate to tell you—those aren’t even the nastiest parts of the bathroom. So now we’re back to tackle those things—the ones that you might not think to clean on a regular basis.

Your Toothbrush & Toothbrush Holder

Keeping your toothbrush clean is actually quite simple. First off, always rinse it well after each use to avoid toothpaste build-up. When you want to get it really clean, soak it in a cup of white vinegar for about a half hour; the vinegar will take care of any lingering bacteria in short order. Be sure to replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months, or after being sick.

As for the toothbrush holder, fill it with hot, soapy water, and scrub out the gunk.

Loofah

I love using loofahs because they so such a good job of cleaning me, but how often do we think about cleaning them? You’ll be relieved to find out that you can clean your loofah as easily as your toothbrush, using the same magical elixir—white vinegar!

Just submerge your loofah in a 50/50 mixture of hot water and vinegar for about an hour, then hang it up to drip-dry. (This method also works for sponges or washcloths.) Be sure to always let it dry fully between uses.

Razors

A little razor maintenance will go a long way in protecting you against nicks and cuts. Pour a little rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad and swipe your razor clean before using. Afterwards, rinse well and give the razor a good towel dry. Store it in a dry place, like on your countertop.

Toilet Brush

Your toilet brush takes care of some of the most undesirable messes imaginable. The number 1 rule for taking care of it is to prevent what you’re cleaning out of your toilet from hanging out on this brush or in its little storage cup.

After cleaning the toilet, rest the brush between the bowl and the seat. Spray it generously with a disinfectant, such as rubbing alcohol, and let it sit, dripping wet, for 10 minutes or so. Then, rinse the brush in the hottest water possible and allow it to drip dry again, using the same method. Never place a wet brush back into the brush cup—that’s when paranormal activity starts to happen.

The brush cup can also be cleaned by spraying it with disinfectant, leaving for 10 minutes and rinsing under hot water.

Plunger

Spray with your favorite disinfectant and leave for 10 minutes, then air dry. You can also store the plunger on top of a neatly folded plastic bag. That way, when you use it, you can place it in the bag and bring it to a wash basin to clean, without leaving any messy drips. (This is not the bag you want to be reusing for groceries, either.)

What else needs cleaning in your bathroom? If you have a cleaning question that you need answered, I invite you to leave a comment below! I love reading your questions and comments and do my best to get back to as many as possible, so, don’t be shy and say hello!

Melissa Maker is an entrepreneur, cleaning expert, founder of Toronto’s most popular boutique cleaning service, and star of the Clean My Space channel on YouTube (but she still hates to clean!). Every week, Melissa delivers new videos dishing expert advice on cleaning products, tools, DIY substitutes, and practical, timesaving solutions to everyday problems. Melissa has appeared on the Today Show, and has been featured in InStyle, Real Simple, and Better Homes and Gardens.

22 COMMENTS

I share a bathroom with about 15 co-workers. About seven years ago someone brought from home a basket with fake flowers and filled with potpourri, as well as a grapevine wreath complete with faux grapes and used those items to decorate the bathroom. Although it is cleaned regularly, I cringe every time I’m in there with those nasty, dusty items. I took the basket of potpourri out of the bathroom the other day and placed it in a pile of items that were going to the trash/recycling. Somebody had a fit and picked it out of the trash and now it is sitting on top of a cabinet I need to use everyday.

How can I convince these people that this stuff is not only out of style, but gross and unnecessary to keep in an office bathroom or now, the office?

If I use a commercial toilet bowl cleaner that says it kills 99.9% of household bacteria, how filthy is my toilet brush going to be? It has just been bathed in a disinfectant. Also, if I leave my toilet brush over the toilet (under the lid, hanging over the water) over night, it still drips water if I shake it. How long does it really take to dry a toilet brush? I love the tips and help from your site! This is just one of my Deep Thoughts from my middle of the night musings!

Just got a Rubbermaid Revel clean Dry plunger–costing about 13 bucks—but haven’t used it yet as it says on the box—-Not compatible with SOME low flow toilets. Well I have a new house & probably has low flow toilets—as not much water in the bowl. Do you know about these clean dry plungers that are not supposed to be cleaned except with bleach & says also it says the plunger really never needs cleaning–& not to clean it with soap –as the plunger has a protective coating. I wish to know your thoughts before I use & find I can’t with low flowing toilet—but Rubbermaid does say—a refund or replacement can be gotten if not satisfied.

I just had an arguement with my husband regarding toilet brush. Every time i correct him or his children not to just leave the toilet brush anywhere inside the house when when washing the floor or a good idea to just leave it to where it was,he disagree and dispute with me and tell his children that what theyre doing is not wrong and he is happy of what they did (putting the toilet brush in the laundry) .that is so frustrating!.he call me bossy and dictator whereas i only wish and intention to establish cleanliness and hygiene in the house.i told him off to google search and find himself how unhygienic a toilet brush is!

I am always anxious to hear what household products you can use for cleaning. And I watched all the items you mentioned in the bathroom except the one I anxiously waited for and that was the INSIDE OF
THE TOILET TANK because it get black. Can you use white vinegar or borax or whatever and how do you use this. How many people really think about taking the tank lid off and cleaning the inside of the toilet tank. It is enough to make anyone sick. Thank you.

Hi Melissa, I am a mom of two young boys… So my bathroom(s) can always be quite smelly. Do you have any good tricks for removing the urine smell out from under the toilet basin. Also the “yucky-ness” that is left behind on my wood floors that are in one of the bathrooms.

I love your videos! You inspire me to keep my home clean. I enjoy your enthusiasm! Keep up the good work. You have turned home cleaning into an art form.
Blessings to you and yours and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I am having an arguement with my husband on how the toilet brush is used. I have always known the toilet brush to be used to scrub only the inside of the toilet. He believes it should be used to scrub the top of the rim of the bowl and under the toilet seat. I told him how disgusting that was and how the bristles on the brush act like that of a toothbrush and splash everywhere if he were to use it for that. Could you clear the air on this matter? Thank you.

My husband is cleaning the bathroom. Which is awesome! However he thinks using the same brush he uses to clean the toilet with should be used to clean the tub! Oooh! Gross! I don’t like the idea. I use disinfectant, he says! Still don’t like the idea! Help!

This is regarding the storage o/one’s toilet plunger & toilet brush…I discovered many years ago that I could use a plant pot & saucer to neatly keep them both by the toilet. I use a plastic pot that I’ve plugged the drain holes w/silicone for the brush. Not only is the plastic non-porous like terra cotta (so it’s easy to sanitize), but depending on how tall/narrow the pot is, I can either store the brush IN the pot, or I can hang the brush on the side o/the toilet tank to “drip-dry” into the pot. For the plunger, I use the plastic saucer (no holes to seal w/silicone), & stand the plunger up in it. Again, b/c it’s plastic, it’s easy to sanitize. If the plastic plant pots/saucers don’t match the decor, the OUTSIDES can be painted to fit in the bathroom…I don’t advocate painting the insides b/c nasty stuff can seep into/under many paint jobs to become homes for grossness…especially if the paint starts to peel/chip.

Just wanted to let you know that I just recently came across your blogs and have really enjoyed them. It’s so nice to see you showing how to clean and do stuff. I’ve learned a lot in a short time and you make it fun, easy and motivating to do too. Keep up the good work and more success to you. God bless and all the best!